







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I like girls' nights out. | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |
| Do you have a cigarette? | |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | |
| I feel hungry, too. | |
| But I don't know him well. | |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | |
| What do you want me to do with them? | |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | |
| Erm... You look about 30? | |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | |
| How old are you? | |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | |
| No, what is that? | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |